How Full Fact will hold the government to account
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Dear Friend,
In the newsletter this week...
1. Will state pension increases offset the impact of Winter Fuel Payment changes? (#headline1)
2. How does revenue from tobacco duties compare to the cost of smoking to the NHS? (#headline2)
3. Why suicide data can lead us astray (#headline3)
4. Also this week... (#morefacts)
But first...
YouGov ([link removed]) found that 75% of the British public think that parties who win elections go back on most, nearly all, or all of their manifesto promises.
Full Fact can help. Our expert fact checkers, policy leaders and editors are gearing up to launch a new tracker to clearly measure government progress against its missions, promises and pledges. This tracker will be user-friendly, and available to all on Full Fact’s website so that collectively we can hold the government’s feet to the fire.
Our preliminary work has found nearly 300 pledges that we think could be trackable, ranging across topics such as health, justice, and climate. We will need to determine how many of these to measure. Many will require closer inspection, in-depth research, and collaboration with independent experts before we can get a definitive answer.
Read the full blog ([link removed]) on why Full Fact will be tracking government pledges.
Best wishes,
Jon, Product Manager—Full Fact
** Will state pension increases offset the impact of Winter Fuel Payment changes? ([link removed])
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During Prime Minister’s Questions last week Sir Keir Starmer claimed that the state pension “will increase by more than any loss of the Winter Fuel Payment”.
This could do with some context. Both the full basic and new state pensions are set to increase next year in cash terms by amounts higher than the maximum value of the Winter Fuel Payment. But that won’t offset the loss of the Payment this winter, and the real terms increase is set to be lower.
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** How does revenue from tobacco duties compare to the cost of smoking to the NHS? ([link removed])
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Speaking to journalists on the possibility of an outdoor smoking ban, Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader and MP for Clacton, said that the tax revenues generated by tobacco were “four to five times the cost of the NHS annually”.
It’s not clear exactly what Mr Farage meant. While it isn’t correct to say the revenues generated by tobacco duties are four to five times the (total) cost “of” the NHS, it is broadly accurate in relation to the cost of smoking “to” the NHS—in England at least.
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** Why suicide data can lead us astray ([link removed])
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On 29 August, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released new data on suicides in England and Wales for 2023. It showed what the ONS called “the highest rate seen since 1999”.
This stark news was sadly true, but it’s also easily misunderstood, and this has been evident from the subsequent reporting of the data. The Full Fact team has taken a deep dive to look behind the numbers.
Read more ([link removed])
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Full Fact’s Claire Milne has appeared on BBC Radio 4's More or Less ([link removed]) discussing our fact check ([link removed]) of a viral message which makes incorrect claims about the benefits 'illegal immigrants' and pensioners receive.
Also this week...
* Has the UK economy ‘flatlined’ since Labour took office? ([link removed])
* No evidence the government plans to ‘means test’ the state pension ([link removed])
* Starbucks across the UK are not going cashless from October 2024 ([link removed])
* No, Donald Trump did not insult soldiers during call on Fox News ([link removed])
Read our latest fact checks ([link removed])
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All the best,
Team Full Fact
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